Improved axle-box



F. LEPPENS.

Car-Axle Box.

Patented Nov. i 13. 1866.

Inventor:

.mn-n"- Witnesses= UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. LEPPENS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IM PROVED AX LE-BOX.

Specication forming part or" Letters Patent No. 59,616, dated November 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. LEPPENs, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad- Car Axle-Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings7 forming part of this specilication.

In the construction of axle-boxes for rail-.p

road-cars, more especially, it is import-ant tc protect the contents of the oil-chamber from dust and other foreign substances, and heretofore for this purpose the inner face ot the axle-box has been closed by a packing-plate, which plate was suspended upon the axle 5 but in this manner, as the opening in the said plate has become enlarged by the constant wear of the axle, it, of course, falls, thereby keeping the upper edge of the opening in the packing in contact with the axle, while its lower edge falls away from the axle, consequently leaving an open space beneath it, through which dust can enter the box.

By the present invention the above-stated difculty is obviated by the peculiar construction and arrangement of the packing-plate, as will be hereinafter particularly described, reff erence being had to the accompanying plate of drawings, in which- Y Figure I is a central vertical section through the box ot' a car-axle, taken in the direction of its length, showing the axle in side view 5 and Fig. 2, a vertical section taken in the plane of the line m x, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A in the drawings represents the axle of a car-wheel B, the axle-box, in which the axle turns, and is packed in the usual manner, this axle-box being provided with an oil-box, C, and waste-chamber D, as in usual axle-boxes for a similarupurpose, and therefore needing vno further particular description herein.

E is the packing-plate arranged uponthe inner face of the axle-box, the object of which is to close the same about the axle, and thus 4to prevent dirt, dust, or other substances from portion or half of the axle, moving in and between thearms or side extensionpieces, I, of the upper or other part, Gr, of the axle-plate E. This lower section, H, ot' the axle-plate E rests by its lower end upon a bent spring, L, secured at its center to the upper side of the piece or block K, iixed in the lower side of the axlebox casing, at the proper point therefor, by means of a screw-bolt, N, and nut M,

so a-s to be susceptible of removal at pleasure,

to allow the plate E to be removed from the axle-box or inserted therein.

By forming the packing-plate E in two parts or sections, and arranging them together and about the axle in the manner above explained, it is plain to be seen that as the upper section of the plate wears away by the running of the axle it falls by its own weight, while the Wear of the lower section of the plate from the same cause is compensated for by the action of the spring upon which it rests, whereby, as is obvious, the closing of the axle-box about the axle is always maintained and preserved, so that no dirt or dust can possibly enter the same.

In lieu of the bent spring I, other forms ot' springs may be used, such as spiral, elliptical, rubber, &c., and therefore I do not intend to limit myself to the use of any one particular form ot' the same.

In order to prevent the wearing away of the axle at the point where surrounded by the packing-plate E, I shrink around the same at such point an iron, steel, or other suitable ring, O, aft-er the wheel has been applied to the axle, which, as is self-evident, accomplishes the desired result.

Although I have herein particularly described my improvements as applied to caraxle boxes, it is plainly obvious that they can be adapted to shafting-boxes in factories, work-shops, and other places to much advantage.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the sections G H, extension-pieces I, and spring L with the axle B, with the ring O shrunk thereon, substantially as described, as and for the purpose specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 10th day of July, 1866.

F. LEPPENS.

Vitnesses:

WM. F. MONAMARA, ALBERT W. BROWN. r 

